Wounded
by Boo2020
Summary: When Phoenix is mugged outside the office, he's unable to go to the police or a hospital, leaving him struggling with his injuries.


This was based on a prompt I saw that just said "patching up a wound". I wrote a really short light-hearted drabble for it (Chapter 17 of AA Drabbles) but someone on Tumblr suggested a fic where Phoenix gets seriously hurt and has to hide it, until Maya finds out. So that's where this came from.

So there is violence and slight descriptions of injuries in this, but it's not graphic or too detailed.

* * *

Walking home alone at night is not something that normally frightens Phoenix Wright. He's tall, broad, and works out regularly. He's certainly not the skinny, gangly teenager he was in high school anymore. That doesn't mean he's confident in his abilities to fight someone off if it comes to that, but he doesn't think it ever will come to that.

Unfortunately, walking home from the convenience store one night, it does come to that. He's not even a block away from the office when he notices the sounds of footsteps behind him. He ignores it at first, telling himself that it's just someone walking behind him, and that there's nothing to be worried about. Still, he picks up the pace.

When another set of footsteps are added to the sounds behind him, he starts to worry. He doesn't have much of value on him. His cellphone and his watch are probably worth more than whatever he has in his wallet, but he can't afford new ones right now, and the watch was a gift from his parents after he passed the Bar exam. He doesn't want to give that up.

He keeps walking, getting closer and closer to his office building, thinking maybe he'll make it. Maybe the people behind him really are just walking in the same direction as him, not planning some evil scheme to mug and rob him. He knows there's a dark alleyway coming up on his right side and he consciously takes a step towards the road, out of the shadow of the buildings.

It's not far enough. A hand reaches out from the darkness as he passes and wraps around his bicep. He's yanked back and spins around with the force of it to face a man standing at least a few inches taller than him. The other two from behind him approach as well. He notes that the second man is about the same height as him, and the third is slightly shorter. They're like a line-up of evil matryoshka dolls.

The taller man smiles almost pleasantly at him. If not for the strong grip he has on Phoenix's arm, Phoenix might even think he was stopping him to ask for directions.

"Excuse me, sir. Please hand over all of your valuables."

The other two men are standing by, letting their leader handle things for the time being. Under the glare of the streetlight, Phoenix catches a glimpse of something shiny in the shorter man's hand.

His heart starts pounding in his chest. A knife? Or a gun? He can't tell, and he's too scared to do anything. He doesn't speak, he doesn't try to pull away or run, he just stands there frozen, wondering if he's really going to die walking back from the store with a plastic bag full of potato chips and grape juice.

The taller man loses his pleasant smile when Phoenix doesn't respond or start handing over his things right away. He doesn't even give Phoenix a second chance before slamming his fist into his stomach, forcing the air out of his lungs and crumpling him onto the sidewalk.

"I said: hand over your valuables."

Phoenix gasps for air. Everything is happening too fast. He has no time to think. He _wants_ to hand everything over, wants to just give them what they want so he can get through this, but all he can focus on is getting air into his lungs. The man of medium height steps up beside him and gives him a swift kick in the ribs. Phoenix cries out in pain and falls to his side, hoping nothing is broken already. They aren't even giving him a chance to get his bearings, how do they expect him to hand over his stuff?

"Come on, Doug. Let's just knock him out and take his stuff."

The leader, apparently named Doug, holds up a hand. "Calm down, Tim. Just give him a minute. A punch to the solar plexus takes a lot out of you, and that kick didn't help."

"Couldn't let you have all the fun."

They both watch Phoenix struggle back to his feet. "Please, stop—" he huffs.

"He finally speaks," Tim says.

"But only to beg. He's still not doing what we ask." Doug looks to the shortest man and nods at him.

He smiles wickedly and begins approaching Phoenix, who catches the glistening of the metal in his hand again. This time he can tell what it is: a knife. In a weird way, he's relieved that it's not a gun, but only for a split second. His brain finally kicks into gear after that and tells him to _run_. Run or he's going to be hurt worse. Never mind doing what they ask, he just has to get away from them.

He makes to do just that, but Tim seems to expect it, and grabs the collar of his jacket to yank him back. Doug pounces on him, getting ahold of him to keep him still while the man wielding the knife takes another step closer.

The sight of that knife switches Phoenix from flight to fight, and he starts to struggle and twist in the other men's arms. He doesn't think he has a chance against three other men, but the adrenaline coursing through him might be enough for a miracle. It's the only chance he has now anyway. He has to give it all he's got.

* * *

Phoenix stumbles back up to the office an hour later, and all he can focus on is the pain as he struggles to insert his key into the lock to let himself in. God, it hurts. It didn't matter how hard he struggled and fought, three against one were bad odds and he'd lost. He's only grateful he's still alive.

He pushes the door open and slams it shut, tossing his keys onto the couch. They're the only thing left to him, that and his empty wallet. The bastards even took his bags from the store once they realized that he really didn't have much of value on him. At least they'd get some snacks for their troubles, and they could probably pawn his watch and cell phone for a decent amount.

He makes it to the bathroom and flips the light switch, bathing the room in white light. He does a double take as he glimpses the light switch where his hand had just rested. There's a smear of red across it. He looks down at his hand. Blood. But blood from where?

He's scared to look in the mirror, but he supposes if it were really serious, he probably would have already bled out and died on the sidewalk before he made it all the way back up to the office. He shrugs his jacket off, a small task made Herculean by the pain he's in, and raises his eyes to the mirror above the sink.

His first thought is about how he'll have to go buy more white dress shirts after this, because there's no way the bloodstain on this one is coming out, and it'll have a tear in it anyway. He slowly unbuttons the shirt, this time not because of the pain but because he's scared to see. He shrugs it off as well, and looks to the mirror again.

The man wielding the knife either didn't know how to properly stab someone, or he had no intent to actually kill. Still, there's a large gash just above his navel, and when he touches it he realizes there's a piece of skin just sort of hanging there. It's seeping blood still, but he's thankful the wound isn't deeper. It's more like a slice. If he had been stabbed in that spot, it might have hit organs, and he's sure he actually would be dead right now.

The adrenaline and stress of the night is wearing off and Phoenix begins feeling the unpleasantness in other parts of his body where his fear was keeping the pain away before. He has a cut across one cheekbone, and will probably have a black eye. His own hands are cut in multiple places thanks to the knife wielder, but the bloody knuckles are actually something to be proud of. He's pretty sure he broke one of their noses at some point, but which one he has no idea. He just remembers swinging and feeling a crack under his fist. That earned him a few more punches to the gut, but it was worth it.

Then there's the cut on his stomach. It's arguably the worst of his injuries. If he goes to the hospital they'll probably need to stitch it, but he can't go to the hospital, not after…

He shakes his head. He'll have to just clean it and bandage it as best he can on his own and hope for the best. It'll heal… He'll have a scar, but it'll heal.

The first thing he does is find some over-the-counter painkillers in his medicine cabinet and pop about four of them. Then he goes to work on cleaning himself up.

* * *

The next morning, Phoenix might as well be dead to the world. He only wakes up when he hears the distant sound of someone knocking. At first he believes it to be a part of his dream, but it soon becomes louder and more insistent, and he finally swims into consciousness. The knocking is coming from his bedroom door.

"Nick! Are you in there? You're not answering your phone! You have a trial today! Did you forget?"

His eyes snap open and he sits up quickly. Too quickly. He groans in pain and looks down at himself. The bandage over the cut on his stomach is soaked through with blood now, and bruises have formed _everywhere_. He's even more sore now than he was last night, if that's even possible.

Of course he'd forgotten about the trial. After cleaning that cut he went searching his bedroom for the prescription pain meds he had leftover from his time in the hospital after that fall from the bridge on Eagle Mountain. They helped with the pain _and_ the sleeping, and he hadn't even thought about setting his alarm clock. And now he has no phone, so of course he wasn't hearing any phone calls.

He turns his head to look at the digital clock. It's 11 am. Two hours after the trial was supposed to start.

"Nick! Seriously, I'm worried! I'm going to come in if you don't answer me!"

"N-No!" he calls back. "Maya, don't come in, I'm getting dressed."

There's a pause, then Maya speaks again. "Okay. Just hurry up. You're lucky I'm so charming, I managed to convince the judge to postpone the trial for a few hours while I went to look for you."

"Right, thanks, Maya. I'll just be a few minutes."

He crawls out of bed slowly. He feels like he's dying and has no idea how he's going to make it through a trial today, but he has to try. He can't let his client down. He heads to the bathroom to find his prediction from the night before was true. His eye is black and swollen. His body is black and blue from the punches he'd taken, and the cut is throbbing. He peels the bandage from it and cleans it up again, then replaces the bandage with a clean one. Back in his room he finds a clean shirt and tie and then pulls his suit jacket on over top. Before he leaves his room, he finds the bottle of pain meds and dry swallows one, then stuffs the rest in his pocket.

When he opens his bedroom door he finds Maya leaning against the wall beside it. She looks up at him and her mouth drops open. "Whoa, Nick. What happened to your face?"

"I… fell."

Maya glances down at his hands and notes the scabs on his knuckles. "How did you fall?"

He scrambles for an excuse. "I was trying to change a light bulb in the office. I fell off the stepladder."

"Don't you mean ladder?" He frowns at her. He's really not in the mood for this argument right now. Maya grins shyly. "Sorry, bad time for that, huh?"

"Yeah." He grabs his suitcase and keys and motions for her to follow. "Let's go."

"Are you really okay? I'm sure they could find a state appointed attorney. You don't look that great, to be honest."

"I'm fine. Let's just go and get it over with."

"Okay… If you say so."

* * *

Everyone at the courthouse is surprised to see Phoenix looking the way he does, some even try to convince him to go home and rest, but he manages to pull it together and do his job competently. He's pretty sure he has the power of modern medication to thank for that. Each recess he takes another pill, and it helps with the pain for a while.

When the trial is over and the judge announces his client not guilty, he and Maya head out to the defendant's lobby to meet the client once more. She's an excitable young woman about Maya's age, and when she sees them she hugs Maya first, then grabs him.

"Oh, thank you, Mr. Wright! Thank you so much!" He takes a deep breath in, attempting to hold back the groan of pain as she wiggles excitedly against him. He pats her on the back quickly and all but pushes her away. She looks embarrassed. "Er, sorry—"

"It's alright," he interrupts. "You're welcome. Enjoy your freedom."

She nods, much more subdued now, and the bailiff leads her away. Maya puts her hands on her hips and gives him a look. "That was kind of rude, Nick. She just wanted to thank you."

He sighs, putting a hand on his side. "I know. Sorry, I have a headache. From the fall, I guess."

Maya's expression softens, but she takes note of where his hand is placed. "Let's go home then. You should rest."

"Don't you need to go back to Kurain?"

"I'm not going to leave you alone when you're in such bad shape! Come on." She takes his hand gently, conscious of the cuts on it, and leads him from the courthouse.

Back at the office Maya turns on the TV and Phoenix heads to the bathroom to check his wounds again. He removes the bandage and finds it's not bleeding as much anymore, which he considers a good sign. He pops another pill and heads back out to the office. Maya is sitting on the couch flipping through TV channels. He sits down beside her and leans back, closing his eyes to will the pain away until the meds kick in again.

Maya sets the remote down and looks at him. She's concerned. He says he fell and she wants to believe him, but those cuts and bruises on his knuckles tell her otherwise. Why would his hands be so beat up if he'd fallen and hit his face?

She reaches down and tightens her hand over his wrist as a guise while she searches for his watch. He wears that watch all the time, and never on the other arm. She finds nothing there, so she runs a finger over the top of his hand near the scabs. He pulls it away from her and cracks an eyelid. "If you want to hold my hand, just ask."

She gives him a look. "Don't get snarky with me, mister. How did you hurt your hands? That can't _also_ be from falling. Did you get into a fight or something?"

"Not exactly."

He doesn't elaborate, so Maya sighs and gets up. She comes back a few minutes later with a bag of frozen vegetables from the freezer and hands it over to him. "Fine, don't tell me, but use this for your face. It might bring down the swelling. You look awful."

He takes it from her and holds the bag to his eye. "Thanks."

She nods and takes a seat beside him again, turning her attention back to the TV show.

The pain is ebbing away slowly thanks to the pain meds, so instead of focusing on that Phoenix can focus more on the reason he can't tell Maya what happened to him or go to the police or a hospital. Even amidst the confusion and terror he felt, he can still remember the words of the leader so clearly in his ear as he held Phoenix from behind.

" _We've been watching this building for a while, looking for a good target, so don't think we don't know about that little girlfriend of yours. Mm, I'd like me a piece of that. Real pretty. We've seen her walking to and from this place with you multiple times, and sometimes on her own too, so if you don't stop struggling, I might just come back here one night and take what I like. And don't you dare tell anyone or go to the cops either, or the same applies."_

All he could think at the time was how relieved he was that Maya wasn't with him that night. Who knew what might have happened if she was there. So no, he won't tell her about it, even if she gets mad at him for keeping things from her. It's for her own good.

When the show they're watching is over, Maya huffs. "I'm bored, Nick. Let's do something."

"I just want to sit here quietly. Please just put on a movie or something."

She pouts. "Even you're not usually this boring. Or so grumpy…"

"I still have a headache."

"Can I do anything for you? Need me to go to the store and get you some painkillers?"

He shakes his head immediately. No way is he letting her walk to the store alone, not even in broad daylight. "No, besides I still have these from a few months ago," he says, digging out the prescription bottle from his pocket.

Maya looks it over and then up at him. "Should you really be taking these just for a headache? They're pretty strong."

"Maya, look at my face," he says, pointing to himself. "It's more than just a headache. Tell you what, I'm just gonna go take a shower and go to bed, okay?"

"It's only 5 pm. You didn't even eat dinner or anything."

He shrugs. "Order delivery." He stops at the stairs that head up into his apartment. "Hey, Maya. Make sure you order _delivery_ , okay? Don't go out anywhere without telling me." He's sure he sounds overprotective, and Maya probably won't appreciate it, but that doesn't matter. He just wants to make sure she'll be safe. "Promise you won't leave the office, okay?"

She tilts her head at him. "Alright. I promise. I'll order Chinese. Do you want me to get you something for later?"

"Sure. My usual please."

"Okay. Have a good sleep, Nick. Tell me if you need anything. You take care of me all the time, the least I can do is help you when you aren't feeling good."

"Thanks, Maya."

He makes his way upstairs, moving slowly and crossing his arm over his stomach as he goes. Maya watches him carefully. There's definitely something up, and tomorrow she's going to find out what.

* * *

It feels like déjà vu when Phoenix wakes up the next morning to pounding on his bedroom door. This time he knows he doesn't have a trial to get to, so why is Maya waking him up already?

"Nick!" she calls. "Wake up! You went to bed so early last night you don't need to sleep in so late!" He groans. When did Maya take it upon herself to start acting like his mother? He ignores her, but the pounding continues. "Alright, that's it," she says, "I'm coming in!"

He sits up in bed. "No! Wait, Maya!" He gets up and scrambles to find a shirt, but even if he was able to find one, there's no way he'll be able to put it on very fast.

Maya doesn't listen to his warning anyway. She barges into his bedroom and stops dead in her tracks when she sees him standing in the middle of his room, in nothing but his boxers. At any other time she would have been embarrassed at finding him half naked, but that had been part of her plan, and besides, her shock is saved instead for the state he's in.

He can see the look on her face as she takes in the cuts and bruises up and down his torso. He must really look awful, if her expression is anything to go by.

Maya balls her hands into fists at her sides while her lip quivers. Then she looks up at him, her eyes wide and filling with tears. Phoenix stands like a deer caught in the headlights.

"W-What happened to you? Who did this? _And_ _why didn't you tell me_?!" He's surprised at how angry she looks.

"Maya, I couldn't—"

"That's _bull_ , Nick! You're hurt." She flicks the light on and Phoenix squints against it, feeling even more on display in the light. Maya walks further into the room, her eyes widening when she notices the bandage on his abdomen. "Why didn't you go to the hospital?!" she yells at him. "Nick, you're… you're _stupid_ for hiding this!"

"I'm sorry, Maya, let me explain—"

"NO! I don't want to hear your excuses." She takes him by the wrist. "We're going to the hospital."

He yanks his wrist from her grip. "I _can't_!"

The anger in his voice this time makes her stop. "Why not?!"

"Because!"

"Nick…" she growls. "Tell me."

"Because they threatened you, okay?" he blurts out. "They know about you… They'll know if I tell anyone, and I can't risk that."

She shakes her head in disbelief. "You know, Nick, there is such a thing as being too selfless. You try so hard to protect everyone but who protects you?" He doesn't quite know the answer to that, so he stays silent. Maya sighs. "If you refuse to go to the hospital, then at least let me look at you. I might not look it but I know a lot of first aid. We have to learn it in Kurain because there are no modern hospitals nearby."

He nods his consent. "Okay. If it matters, I think I feel even worse today, instead of better."

Maya lifts a hand and presses the back of it against his forehead. "I think you have a fever." She glances worriedly down at the bandage on his stomach. "I better check that wound right away. What is it?"

"A cut. It didn't go very deep but it sliced a pretty big piece of skin. It's just sort of… hanging there."

He can see Maya swallow, and her lips curve downward. "Lovely. Um… lay back down on your bed."

He does as she asks, and she pulls up the only chair in the room after dumping a pile of his clothes off of it. When she sits down she reaches towards him and presses her fingers against one of the darkest bruises, around his ribs.

He yelps. "Ow! What are you doing?"

"I was just going to ask if it hurt when I poke here. I guess it does."

"Yes! It does!"

"Do you feel extra tired? Still have a headache? Does it hurt to breathe?"

"Uh, yes, yes, and well, now that you mention it, I guess my chest does feel a little tight when I breathe."

"Hmm, you might have a fractured rib."

"What? How would I not notice that?!"

Maya sits back and crosses her arms. "You've been throwing back those pain meds like a frickin' junkie, Nick! I'm surprised you can feel _anything_!" He mumbles something incoherent, and Maya rolls her eyes. "You're a terrible patient."

"Well excuse me, I haven't had the best of days lately!"

"Let me look at that cut now…" She looks at the bandage again and reaches for it hesitantly.

"Are you sure you know what you're doing, Maya?" he asks.

Her hands stop, hovering just above his skin. "Yes," she hisses. "This just kind of grosses me out. Now be quiet."

He is quiet as Maya slowly takes the bandage off. Her hands are shaking a little, but to her credit she doesn't look away even as the cut comes into view. When the bandage is fully off, she tries to keep her face a mask.

"You cleaned this, Nick? What did you use?"

"Uh… water."

"You didn't use soap? Or some kind of antiseptic? Not even rubbing alcohol?"

"…No. Why? Does it look bad? Yesterday I thought maybe it was starting to heal since it wasn't bleeding so much."

The skin around the cut is red and swollen, and when she leans closer she can see thin red streaks emitting from it. Those signs combined with his fever… "Nick, I think it's infected."

He lifts an arm and rests it over his eyes, ignoring the pain in his swollen face. "So, can you do anything?"

"I can clean it properly, but that won't do much. You really have to go to the hospital. You'll need antibiotics and stitches."

"I said no."

Maya sighs. She sounds defeated. Then he feels her rest her hand gently on his arm. "Nick, you could die from something like this. Once the infection gets into your blood you could get blood poisoning. You seem to think you're invincible but nobody is. You won't just magically get better from this. It's not a trial that you can win."

He says nothing, his other arm still crossed over his face. "Do you even understand how much you mean to people? Me especially," she says quietly. "And not just me. There's Pearly, Mr. Edgeworth, Detective Gumshoe, Franziska even if she would deny it, all the clients you've helped. And all the clients you won't _get_ to help in the future if anything happens to you."

He's still quiet, so she gets up and heads to the bathroom to search for some medical supplies. The least she can do is clean the cut better than Phoenix had been doing. When she gets back she goes to work right away. Phoenix moves his arm away from his face again and looks down so he can watch her. He tenses under her fingers with each pang of pain, but stays quiet.

She bandages it again and finishes by pressing the tape securely into place. "There. You're done."

He doesn't answer and when she leans closer to his face she can see that he's fallen asleep again. His fatigue isn't a good sign. She makes a decision. He might hate her for it for a while, but he'll get over it, and someday soon he might even thank her. She leaves him in his room and goes back to the main office where she calls for an ambulance, and then makes another call to Dick Gumshoe.

When the paramedics get there, Maya gives them the rundown and then leads them to Phoenix's room. They rouse him, and when he realizes what's going on he shoots her the dirtiest look she thinks she's ever seen him give. But he lets them look him over anyway, and Maya slinks back to the office to wait for Gumshoe. Phoenix is going to be even more angry when he finds out she called the police, even if it is only Gumshoe.

The paramedics finally lead Phoenix out of his room, dressed in sweats and a t-shirt, and downstairs. He doesn't say a word to Maya as he follows them outside to go to the hospital. When Gumshoe gets to the office, Maya tells him all she knows, which isn't that much given Phoenix still hasn't told her what actually happened, and then asks him to give her a ride to the hospital.

* * *

Since she's not considered family, the nurse at the hospital makes Maya wait in the waiting room, but does take pity on her enough to let her know that Phoenix has been admitted and is in a room currently waiting for the doctor. Around an hour later, the same nurse comes over to tell her that he's in getting x-rays and his wounds cleaned up and stitched, then he'll be put in a room to rest for the night.

Maya is reading a magazine from two years ago when the same nurse approaches her again to ask if she's Maya Fey. Maya nods, and the nurse tells her that Phoenix has been asking for her. Maya hopes that's a good sign, and follows the nurse to his room.

He looks over when she enters and closes the door behind her. "Hey, Nick," she says timidly.

"Hi Maya."

She stays near the door, her hands held in front of her. "Are you mad at me?"

"Not really. But I'm on a lot of drugs right now," he says, smiling lazily, "so that's probably helping my mood."

"I'm sorry," she says, finally stepping forward. "I couldn't just let you stay like that."

"It's okay. The doctor said it was a good thing you called. You were right. Fractured rib, infected cut, and one of my fingers is broken too. I had no idea. I guess I was focusing so much on the cut that I couldn't feel anything else."

"I can't believe you actually did a trial like this," she says, looking him over. He's wearing a hospital gown now but she assumes the cut on his stomach is stitched and bandaged properly. His knuckles are wrapped and his finger splinted. "And you _won_."

"Well, I didn't break my regular objection finger. I don't know if I would have been able to do the trial without it."

She manages a small smile. "You amaze me sometimes, Nick. Why do you do all the things you do for me?"

He looks away from her to stare up at the ceiling instead. "Because."

"Because why?"

"You said that I don't realize how important I am to people. Maybe that's true, but you're the same as me, Maya. _You_ don't know how much you mean to _me_." He looks at her again, meeting her eyes. "I would gladly give my life for yours."

A tear drops from her eye and slides down her cheek, dripping from her chin and onto the hospital bed. He holds out his hand, his good one, and Maya places hers in it. He pulls on her hand feebly, towards the bed, where she sits gently on the edge, trying not to jostle him too much.

"Why though?" she asks "I didn't do anything to deserve that, Nick."

He shrugs. "I love you, Maya. You didn't need to _do_ anything."

"W-What?"

His half lidded eyes open wider again, like he's just realized what he said. "What what?"

She tries to hide her smile by wiping at her eyes. "Nothing. I think it's the drugs making you loopy." _And you probably won't love me so much after I tell you this._ "By the way, Nick… Detective Gumshoe is going to visit you later when you're a little more coherent. You still haven't told me what happened to you, but I'm guessing you were mugged or something, since your watch is gone…"

"How did you know that?"

"I checked."

He looks concerned. "When did you check? Were you sneaking around in my room while I was asleep?"

She laughs. "No, I just felt your wrist."

"Oh yeah, when you were trying to hold my hand."

"I wasn't trying to hold your hand, you goof."

"Hmm. Well, I'll have you know, I am very mad at you for calling Gumshoe." Yet when she looks at him, he's smiling.

Maya smiles too. "What did they give you anyway?"

"Morphine."

"Ah. No wonder. You must be on Cloud 9 right now."

"Oh yeah."

She snickers and pats his hand. "You should probably get some more rest, Nick. I'll come back later."

His hand tightens around hers. "Don't go."

"Nick, I'll be fine. Gumshoe is actually here right now, down in the waiting room. It's like having my very own bodyguard."

Despite how tired he looks, his grip stays strong. "That's not why I don't want you to go."

She hesitates, but before she can say anything else she lets out a wide yawn, covering her mouth with the hand he isn't holding.

Phoenix smiles at her. "Tired?"

"Well… I woke up pretty early today so I could catch you in your room, so yeah. Do you think this hospital bed has enough room for two?"

He manages to shift over a bit so Maya can pull her legs up. She curls up beside him, being careful not to touch any of his sore spots. She keeps hold of his hand and rests her head on the pillow beside his. "I'm glad you're okay, Nick," she says quietly.

"Mm. Me too."

He closes his eyes and Maya simply looks at him. His cheek is still swollen a little and there's a bandage over the cut on it, and his eye is turning an ugly shade of purple now, but she doesn't mind. Behind all of that he's still her Nick, and he'll get better, and Gumshoe will catch the people who did this to him and they'll be fine.

She shifts to get a little more comfortable, moving closer to cuddle up against his side, and closes her eyes. Maybe they can both get a little nap in before Gumshoe decides to make his way up.

* * *

Eventually Gumshoe does come to take a statement, and Phoenix is sent home the next day with a prescription for some antibiotics and painkillers. The doctor tells him to stay off work for another four weeks so his fractured rib and broken finger can heal, and the infection needs time for the antibiotics to work before his stitches can be removed.

Maya stays with him for the entire month, helping out around his apartment and generally just keeping him company while he's off work. She knows that it also eases his fears about the danger to her while the police work on finding the muggers.

Phoenix never mentions what he'd said in the hospital about loving her, and Maya isn't sure if it's because he's forgotten or because he's embarrassed by it, but every time he smiles at her or laughs at something she says or thanks her for her help, it's there in the back of her mind.

It's what gives her the courage to take his hand as they walk back from the grocery store one day, simply because she wants to; it's not her usual clinging to his arm she does when she gets scared or nervous. When he doesn't protest or pull away, she takes that as a good sign. Things seem to progress naturally from there. She finds herself following him to his bedroom one night where they stay awake talking for half the night, telling each other about things that, as close as they are, they never have before, and when she falls asleep there beside him the first night it's so natural and comfortable that she doesn't sleep on the couch anymore after that. Hugs, cuddling and forehead and cheek kisses come next, and they never talk about what their relationship is becoming. They just let it happen.

The day they go to the doctor together to have his stitches removed, Maya gets a call from Gumshoe. The police were called about suspicious individuals hanging out around one of the buildings not far from Phoenix's office, and they have a feeling the three men arrested are the same ones who assaulted him, so they need Phoenix to identify them. They head to the police headquarters right after leaving the doctor.

"Hey, pal!" Gumshoe greets when they arrive at the precinct. "I haven't seen you since I took your statement in the hospital. How are you holding up?"

"I'm doing much better now, Detective," Phoenix answers him. "I just got my stitches out, and everything else is good to go, too. I'll be back to work in no time."

"That's great to hear. How was recovery?"

Phoenix shrugs. "Not bad. A little boring I guess, but I had Maya to entertain me."

Gumshoe raises an eyebrow at that and looks at Maya, who smiles at him innocently. "Well, that's good. Come with me, we're going to need you to view a line up and pick out the men who mugged you."

Maya holds onto Phoenix's arm as they follow Gumshoe into a viewing room. He may not show it, but she knows how much this incident has affected him, and she needs him to know she's there with him and there's nothing to worry about now.

It only takes Phoenix about three seconds to identify all three men.

"They didn't hide their faces, and we were right under a streetlight," he explains to Gumshoe. "I remember them clearly."

Gumshoe nods. "Well, that's all we need, pal. They'll be facing trial and you may be asked to testify against them, but with an eyewitness account from the victim himself, they're sure to land in prison. They won't give you anymore trouble. Oh, we also found their stash of stolen goods, so after it's all processed you can take a look at it and get whatever they stole back, aside from any money. They spent that."

"Thank you, Detective," Maya says. "It's a relief to know they're off the streets, right Nick?"

"Definitely."

"That's what we're here for, pal," Gumshoe says. "You two need a ride home?"

Phoenix shakes his head. "We can walk. All I've been doing lately is laying in bed and watching TV on the couch so I can use the exercise."

On their way out, Gumshoe stops Maya. "Take care of him," Gumshoe says. "He doesn't know it, but we really need him around. He does good work."

Maya smiles up at him. "I know, Detective. And I think Nick is starting to realize that too, finally. It might not stop him from jumping in front of a bullet for someone though. That's just how he is."

"Well, let's hope it never comes to that."

Maya looks back to where Phoenix is standing in the lobby waiting for her. "Yeah. Let's keep hoping."

* * *

"I can't believe how much better I feel knowing those guys were finally caught."

Maya looks up from her laptop when Phoenix climbs onto the bed beside her. "Me too. Maybe now you'll actually let me walk to the store by myself."

He sits back against his pillow. "Sorry for being so clingy these past few weeks. I was just worried they'd be watching the office or something and they'd know the cops were involved, and then they'd… get you."

Maya closes her laptop and sets it on the nightstand, then nudges closer to rest her head on his shoulder. "We don't have to worry anymore."

"You're right." He takes a deep breath, letting out the stress and worry he's built up over the past four weeks, and they're quiet for a few minutes. Up until Phoenix nudges Maya and pulls his shirt up. "Look. Doesn't it look gross?"

Maya laughs. The cut has healed and the stitches are gone, but he has a nasty scar left in its place. "It's not that bad."

"It makes me less attractive, doesn't it? I'll never be able to go to the beach again."

"I don't know," she says, running her finger along it. "It kind of makes you seem more manly. It's, like, a battle scar."

"Really? Huh. Too bad I didn't do much of the battling."

She rests her arm across his stomach and squeezes him in a small hug. "But at least you're still here."

They're quiet again until Maya decides to finally ask something she's been thinking about lately. "Nick?"

"Hm?"

"Do you remember what you said to me in the hospital when you were on the morphine?"

"…Yeah, I remember."

"Did you mean it… in the way I hope you meant it?"

He pauses again, but it's more for dramatic effect. Then he smiles down at her. "Yes. Do you think I let all my friends sleep in my bed with me?"

Maya shrugs and looks away, her cheeks colouring dark red. "I don't know. I mean… we've never actually done anything except sleep. We've never even had a _real_ kiss, you know."

It's Phoenix's turn to shrug. "I'm in no rush. I know how I feel about you Maya and I'm sorry it took a heavy dose of morphine for me to finally admit it. I wasn't sure how to go about bringing it up when I got out of the hospital, because I didn't know how you felt, so these past four weeks I've just sort of let things happen. They've been good, haven't they?"

She nods. "Yeah. Really good."

"So… What now?"

"Don't ask me. I've never had a boyfriend before."

"Oh, so I'm your boyfriend now?"

She blushes again and turns her face to hide it against his arm. "If you want to be."

"Hmmmmm…"

She punches him lightly. "Nick!"

"Hey, I'm still fragile, Maya. Be careful."

"You still didn't answer."

He laughs quietly beside her. "Okay. I'll be your boyfriend." She makes a little noise of excitement against his arm where she's still hiding her face. Phoenix lifts said arm to wrap it around her instead, letting her snuggle in under it. "So how long do I have my new girlfriend before she has to go back to Kurain Village? You've already been gone a long time."

"I think I can manage a few more days."

"I'm so used to you being here. You've never stayed this long before. I'm going to miss you even more when you leave now."

"Well, they won't be able to keep me away for long."

"Good. Hey Maya?"

"Yeah?"

"I never did thank you. For staying with me all this time, taking care of me and making sure I was taking my medicine on time and just… being here. And for calling that ambulance in the first place."

"You don't need to thank me. With everything you do for me, it's the least I could do for you."

He leans away from her, prompting Maya to glance up at his face. He finally looks like himself again, no more black eye, and she can barely see the tiny white outline of a scar on his cheek where he'd been cut.

"Can I kiss you, Maya? For real?"

She smiles. "Yeah. Yeah you can."

He leans forward to do just that, and they end up spending the rest of the night wrapped up in the blankets and each other.


End file.
